ABSTRACT
In response to global education disruption, teachers must adopt remote teaching methods that incorporate the information, communication, and technology (ICT). However, many teachers are inexperienced with technology, as remote learning is uncommon, particularly in primary and secondary schools. Thus, there is a pressing need to identify teachers' readiness to implement remote teaching during global crises. Specifically, this study aimed to determine their readiness in terms of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and ICT efficacy for implementing remote teaching during the learning disruption period. This study was a cross-sectional study conducted among 4,985 primary and secondary school teachers across five zones of Malaysia (North, South, East, and West in Western Malaysia). These participants were selected using random sampling techniques. The instrument, a survey questionnaire with a 5-Likert scale, had 26 items covering four dimensions of readiness: attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and ICT efficacy. This instrument has been validated by three academics and demonstrated a high level of internal consistency (α = 0.81). The findings revealed that teachers' readiness was high across all four dimensions (M = 3.73, SD = 0.645). The highest was the attitude (M = 3.88, SD = 0.598), and the lowest was the subjective norm (M = 3.63, SD = 0.696). Based on these findings, this study offers recommendations for maintaining momentum when conducting remote teaching in the face of current and future learning disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings are important for policymakers and school leaders to design appropriate interventions and support effective remote teaching implementation. © 2022, City University of Hong Kong Press. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
The unprecedented disruption in education due to the COVID-19 pandemic has forced teachers worldwide to adapt to online teaching and the immediate implementation of home-based learning (HBL). However, little is known regarding teacher readiness for HBL. Thus, there is a pressing need to develop an instrument to measure teachers’ readiness for online teaching, which can provide feedback to guide policymakers and school leaders in planning strategic interventions and support for implementing HBL. This study aimed to refine and validate the HBL Teacher Readiness Scale and to ascertain the view of secondary school teachers on aspects of their readiness to implement HBL. A total of 931 from a population of 3826 secondary school teachers were selected using random sampling, from the state of Selangor, Malaysia. The validity and reliability of the HBL Teacher Readiness instrument were tested using exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis. As a result of the analysis, the scale remained at 26 items across four factors, namely efficacy in technology, attitude, perceived behaviour control, and subjective norms. The Cronbach Alpha coefficient for the entire scale was 0.94. Demographic analysis revealed that, overall, the in-service teachers’ level of readiness was at a high level across all dimensions, although the highest was in attitude and the lowest was in subjective norms. Based on this initial sample, the HBL Teacher Readiness Scale was shown to be a suitable instrument to measure teacher readiness for change in the context of the implementation of HBL, although further testing should be conducted on more diverse groups. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.